President Obama is headed back to the state next week to raise money. The leading Republican candidates for president -- especially former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and current Texas Gov. Rick Perry -- are already raising millions in the state, as California Watch details here.

But do you ever hear them talk about concrete plans to address California's particular -- and deep -- unemployment problems?

Me neither.

There's an opportunity for California donors to use their leverage here to force candidates to consider the state's job problems with specific plans. They just have to hold back their cash until they get a plan.

This would be a real service -- not only to California but also to the country.

One big reason why the national unemployment rate is stuck at 9 percent is that unemployment in California, home to one in every eight Americans, is stuck at 12 percent.